Shay Mitchell Opens Up About Motherhood and Mental Health

Shay Mitchell is the June cover star for Women’s Health Magazine. She got real about her life as a new mother during the pandemic, and just how difficult it was for her to feel like her pre-pregnancy self again. Before the birth of her daughter, Atlas, Mitchell dealt with prepartum depression “I was strong before I had Atlas, and I wanted to feel that way after. We celebrate our bodies before we’re pregnant; we celebrate our bodies with bumps. We should also celebrate our bodies at whatever point we feel our best again.”

shay mitchell for women’s health pic.twitter.com/UNZ5iji3Dr

— kristina | a fan account (@mylulllabies) May 17, 2021

Her daughter was five months old when the pandemic hit, forcing her to go into isolation with her partner and the young baby. Mitchell recalls that Atlas was not yet moving around so she had to spend a lot of time sitting on the floor playing with her. Her life felt as though it was at a full stop.

That was the case until January of 2021 when the actress committed to working out five days a week for four weeks using the app Openfit. She said that this completely altered her lifestyle, she took to Instagram to celebrate her changes.

As with many posts similar to this on social media it was met with some backlash, but Mitchell sticks with her message of empowerment through workouts and self care. For a while the actress did not feel like her self, and had trouble with people brushing that away by blaming the fact that she just had a baby “I’m very grateful for my body, and that it gave life, but I’m still allowed to express that I don’t feel like myself.”

Shay Mitchell Said She’s Hesitant To Have Another Child After Experiencing Prenatal Depression #parenting https://t.co/1I6ygN9pdk pic.twitter.com/0zUDBj5s4O

— Katie Louise (@Mrs_Katielouise) February 26, 2021

Mitchell used the support network of her friends to help deal with her prepartum depression. The actress stated that seeing her newborn made even the worst aspects of her pregnancy worth it.

Through eating “healthy-ish” and working out to her desire, Mitchell has managed to find a balance within her life, which has been difficult during the rough year or so that she has had.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing pre/postpartum depression, resources can be found here and here.